Currently, only animals small enough to fit in a portable crate enclosure are permitted on-board Grand River Transit vehicles.

Support Dog Friendly KW in advocating for dogs to be permitted on LRT trains in the Region of Waterloo.

Why this matters - Dog owners deserve accessible transportation

• Canada is home to 7.9 million pet dogs (Statista, 2020).
  In the City of Kitchener alone, there are close to 10,000 dog owners and over 10,000 dogs licensed with the city.
  Of those, 5.2 million are medium or large breeds (21+ lbs) (Statista, 2020).
• Majority of dog owners cannot access transit with their dog(s) locally based on current guidelines.
• According to a 2020 survey by Rover, nearly 3/4 of respondents were interested in learning how to live more sustainably with their pets. Pet owners want to make sustainable choices.
  Not everyone has access to a vehicle, especially those in lower-income households

Why this matters - Events & Economic Development

• Dog Friendly KW executes successful events based around strong guidelines to ensure safety and comfortability for all attendees. Our platform has over 10,000 followers and our events consistently see thousands of attendees, directly contributing to the economic development of our community.
• We continue to see an increase in businesses and services become dog friendly, many utilizing our event guidelines and responsible dog ownership education as foundations to welcome dogs into their locations safely.
• Our events frequently occur in Downtown Kitchener. We have received feedback from community members who rely on public transportation that they face difficulties attending our events.
• There are hundreds of dog friendly and dog related businesses along the LRT corridor. Permitting leashed dogs on the LRT would support economic development in these areas. 

 

Why this matters - Communities are improving access to transit for dog owners

• Many other cities around the world, as well as several in Canada, have been operating successful dog friendly public transport programs. This includes:
  • Toronto
  • Montreal
  • Calgary
• While Ottawa, Vancouver and Edmonton also do not currently permit dogs unless in a small carrier, there is also a strong push happening in Vancouver currently to make this change
• The Region of Waterloo has an opportunity to act as an ambassador and leader for change in this space as a "State of the Art" community.

Go Transit

• Dogs are permitted on GO Transit buses and trains.
• Travel with a maximum of two leashed dogs.
• Permitted Times: weekdays between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. until the end of service, and all day on weekends & holidays.
  Policy has been in effect since 2018.
• Initially began with a 4-month pilot project after the launch of a petition with over 25,000 signatures. The policy was made permanent after the pilot project.

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

• Leashed dogs or pets secured in an enclosed container are welcome to travel on the TTC.
• Permitted Times: weekends and weekday off-peak periods - that is before 6:30 a.m.; 10 a.m. to 3:30 pm; after 7 p.m.

"As long as people are managing their pets and minding them and making sure they're not, you know, fouling subway platforms, it's not really an issue for us. We rarely, if ever, get complaints about it," said Stuart Green, spokesperson with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) (CBC News, 2022).

Calgary Transit

• Dogs are welcome on board all Calgary Transit vehicles for free, as long as they are on-leash.
• No other restrictions for dogs on Calgary Transit.

Montreal

• A new 9-month pilot project, Dogs on the Metro, allows dogs on the metro with the following guidelines:
  • Permitted on-leash during off-peak times: Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m-3:00 p.m and after 7:00 p.m, as well as all day on weekends and holidays. Except from May 20 to August 20, 2023, when dogs are permitted all the time, except during major events.
  • During certain events, ridership increases significantly. For safety reasons, pet dogs on leash may be prohibited during certain periods.
  • All dogs must wear a muzzle from the time they enter the station until they leave.
  • Keep a firm grip on your dog’s leash, leaving no more than 1.25 m of leash slack.
  • Only one dog per customer is allowed.